Rail brace



Oct; 6; 1925.

E. L. MEDAUGH ET- AL RAIL BRACE June 12, 1924 Flled Ill 7 13 grime-"$0M ENE}. Me dang? H. M. mccfzzlzrj v.

, alto: u e 1 Patented Oct. 6, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EARL L. MEDAUGH AND WILLIAM M. MEDAUGH, OF .OHIO CITY, OHIO.

RAIL BRACE.

Application filed June 12, 1924. Serial No. 719,552.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, EARL L. MEDAUGH and l VILLIAM M. MEDAUGH, citizens of the United States, residing at Ohio City, in the county of Van VVert and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail Braces, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to a brace or gage for accurately laying rails in a track. This brace may be used for standard, medium and narrow gauge railroads.

he object of the invention is to provide a permanent brace of this character which will save considerable labor in re-gaging the rails and redriving the spikes for holding the rails, thereby saving the ties and making them last longer. In addition the brace prevents spreading of the rails and consequent acsidents to rolling stock and passengers.

in the accompanying drawing, one embodiment of the invention is illustrated, and

Figure 1 is a front elevation and partial section of the device installed on the track;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the details; and

Fig. l is a fragmentary section on the line l 1 of Fig. 2.

In the drawing, the reference numeral 10 represents the rails and 11 the ties therefor.

he brace consists of two jaw members 12 and 13, each jaw member having an upper overhanging lip 14 spaced from the body of the jaw member so as to form a groove or seat 15 in which the outer edge of the rail fits snugly. Below this groove is formed a dovetail recess 16, the inner end of which is provided with a shoulder 17. A filler block 18 fits within the recess 16 and is provided with an extension or foot 19 adapted to extend beneath the base of the adjacent rail. The filler block also has a tail 2O engaging against the shoulder 17. Spaced above the foot 19 is an overhanging lip or tongue 21 which projects in the direction of the rail so that, when the filler block is inserted in the recess, the base 23 of the rail will be held firmly by the filler block 18 along its inner edge and by the lip 14 along its outer edge, as best seen in Fig. 1.

The jaw member 12 has a straight shank 24 preferably integral therewith, the free end of which is threaded, as at 25. The other jaw member 18, on the otherhand, terminates in a sleeve 26 in which fits a bolt 27 having a square or flat head 28. Around this head and the neck of the bolt fits an insulator 29. By this arrangement the bolt will be held firmly and non-revolubly in the sleeve but may be retracted in an axial direction. The bolt 27 is threaded similar to the shaft 2 1 but in the opposite direction thereto so that, if the shank is provided with a left-hand thread, the bolt will be provided with a right-hand thread. The threaded ends of the'shank and the bolt are adapted to be engaged by a turnbuckle 30 and a pin or set screw 31 extends through said turnbuckle and engages the bolt and by means of which the turnbuckle is locked from turning.

When laying the rails, the jaw members 12 and 13 are placed, as indicated in Figure 1, beneath the bases of the rails so that the outer edges of the latter will be gripped by the jaw members. The turnbuckle 30 is next inserted between the ends of the shank 2-1 and the bolt 27 and rotated thereon thus drawing the rails together. When the desired distance between the rails has been obtained, the turnbuckle 30 is locked on the bolt 27 by the set screw or pin 31 so that further turning between the parts can not take place. As the bolt 27 is held from rotation by the sleeve 26, it will be evident that no shifting in either direction of the jaw members 12 and 13 can take place.

The filler blocks 18 are now slid into their respective recesses 16 and by engaging the inner edges of the rails will hold the latter to the proper gage. In this manner the rails are held from inward or outward spreading and, therefore, kept permanently in position. No readjustment or drawing out and putting in spikes will be necessary and only when the rails have been worn down need the braces be removed for securing new rails. The filler blocks 18 are prevented from shifting or sliding out by cotter or pins 32 engaging in suitable apertures 33 and 3a in the blocks and the jaw members.

The reason for using insulation around the bolt is to prevent interference in the signal system as no cross connection or short-circuiting can take place between the rails.

Having thus described the invention, We claim:

1. In a device of the class described, jaw members, fillers fitting in corres onding recesses in said jaw members, sai fillers and jaw members being adaptedto gripthe inner and outer edges respectivelyof the bases of rails, means for adjustably securing-said-- together, said means including j aW members a fixed shank on one of said jaw members, an insulated bolt on the other jaw member, said shank and bolt being oppositely threaded, and and bolt.

2. In a device of members, filler-slitting in corresponding recesses in said jaw membersysaid fillers and jaw members beingadaptedto grip theina turnbuckle engagin-g said shankthe class described, an

ner'and outer edgesrespeetively-of the bases of rails; means foradjusta'bly securingsaid jaw-members together, said means including a fixed shank on one of said jaw members, an insulated bolt on the other jaw member,

asaid shank and bolt being oppositely threaded, a turnbuckle engaging said shank and bolt; and a locking element for said turnbuckle.

In testimony whereof We aflix our signatures;

EARLL. MEDAUGH. [Ls] WILLIAM M. MEDAUGH; [L 

